Surgical instrument with fiber bragg grating

ABSTRACT

A surgical instrument includes an end effector including first and second jaw members movable relative to one another between a first, spaced-apart position and a second position proximate tissue. In the second position, the jaw members cooperate to grasp tissue therebetween. A first optical fiber is disposed within the first jaw member and is configured to provide a first signal, and a second optical fiber is disposed within the first jaw member and is configured to provide a second signal. A controller is coupled to the first and second fibers and is configured to determine the temperature and the strain of the first jaw member as a function of the first and second signals, respectively.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation application of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/808,922, filed on Jul. 24, 2015, which is acontinuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/803,884,filed on Mar. 14, 2013, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,113,904, which claims thebenefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No.61/673,654, filed on Jul. 19, 2012, the entire contents of each of whichare incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present disclosure relates generally to the field of surgicalinstruments. In particular, the disclosure relates to an electrosurgicalforceps having improved sensors.

2. Background of Related Art

Instruments such as electrosurgical forceps are commonly used in openand endoscopic surgical procedures to coagulate, cauterize and sealtissue. Such forceps typically include a pair of jaws that can becontrolled by a surgeon to grasp targeted tissue, such as, e.g., a bloodvessel. The jaws may be approximated to apply a mechanical clampingforce to the tissue, and are associated with at least one electrode topermit the delivery of electrosurgical energy to the tissue. Thecombination of the mechanical clamping force and the electrosurgicalenergy has been demonstrated to join adjacent layers of tissue capturedbetween the jaws. When the adjacent layers of tissue include the wallsof a blood vessel, sealing the tissue may result in hemostasis, whichmay facilitate the transection of the sealed tissue. A detaileddiscussion of the use of an electrosurgical forceps may be found in U.S.Pat. No. 7,255,697 to Dycus et al.

A bipolar electrosurgical forceps typically includes opposed electrodesdisposed on clamping faces of the jaws. The electrodes are charged toopposite electrical potentials such that an electrosurgical current maybe selectively transferred through tissue grasped between theelectrodes. To effect a proper seal, particularly in relatively largevessels, two predominant mechanical parameters must be accuratelycontrolled; the pressure applied to the vessel, and the gap distanceestablished between the electrodes.

Both the pressure and gap distance influence the effectiveness of theresultant tissue seal. If an adequate gap distance is not maintained,there is a possibility that the opposed electrodes will contact oneanother, which may cause a short circuit and prevent energy from beingtransferred through the tissue. Also, if too low a force is applied thetissue may have a tendency to move before an adequate seal can begenerated. The thickness of a typical effective tissue seal is optimallybetween about 0.001 and about 0.005 inches. Below this range, the sealmay shred or tear and above this range the vessel walls may not beeffectively joined. Closure pressures for sealing large tissuestructures may fall within the range of about 3 kg/cm² to about 16kg/cm².

SUMMARY

The present disclosure relates to an electrosurgical apparatus andmethods for performing electrosurgical procedures. More particularly,the present disclosure relates to electrosurgically sealing tissue. Asis traditional, the term “distal” refers herein to an end of theapparatus that is farther from an operator, and the term “proximal”refers herein to the end of the forceps which is closer to the operator.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a surgicalinstrument includes an end effector including first and second jawmembers movable relative to one another between a first, spaced-apartposition and a second position proximate tissue. In the second position,the jaw members cooperate to grasp tissue therebetween. A first opticalfiber is disposed within the first jaw member and is configured toprovide a first signal, and a second optical fiber is disposed withinthe first jaw member and is configured to provide a second signal. Acontroller is coupled to the first and second fibers and is configuredto determine the temperature and the strain of the first jaw member as afunction of the first and second signals, respectively.

In embodiments, each of the first and second optical fibers includes atleast one Bragg grating. The first optical fiber may be disposed withina first cavity defined in the first jaw member and the second opticalfiber may be disposed within a second cavity defined in the first jawmember. Further, the first optical fiber may be secured within the firstcavity. The second optical fiber may be unsecured within the secondcavity. The first and second cavities may include a thermally andelectrically conductive material. The electrically conductive materialmay be saline.

In embodiments, the first signal includes a first componentcorresponding to a temperature measurement. The second signal mayinclude a first component corresponding to the temperature measurementand a second component corresponding to a strain measurement, whereinthe first component of the first signal is substantially identical tothe first component of the second signal. Additionally, the controlleris configured to determine the strain measurement by removing the firstcomponent of the first signal from the second signal.

According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a surgicalinstrument includes an end effector including first and second jawmembers movable relative to one another between a first, spaced-apartposition and a second position proximate tissue. In the second position,the jaw members cooperate to grasp tissue therebetween. A first opticalfiber is unsecuredly mounted within the first jaw member and isconfigured to provide a first signal, and a second optical fiber issecuredly mounted within the second cavity and is configured to providea second signal. A controller is coupled to the first and second fibersand is configured to determine the temperature and the strain of thefirst jaw member as a function of the first and second signals. Each ofthe first and second optical fibers may include at least one Bragggrating.

In embodiments, the first signal includes a first componentcorresponding to a temperature measurement. The second signal mayinclude a first component corresponding to the temperature measurementand a second component corresponding to a strain measurement, whereinthe first component of the first signal is substantially identical tothe first component of the second signal.

In embodiments, the first signal includes a first componentcorresponding to a temperature measurement. The second signal mayinclude a first component corresponding to the temperature measurementand a second component corresponding to a strain measurement, whereinthe first component of the first signal is substantially identical tothe first component of the second signal. The controller may beconfigured to determine the strain measurement by removing the firstcomponent of the first signal from the second signal.

According to another embodiment, a method for determining temperatureand strain of a surgical end effector includes detecting a first signalfrom a first optical fiber unsecuredly mounted within the end effector,detecting a second signal from a second optical fiber securedly mountedwithin the end effector, and determining at least one of temperature orstrain of the end effector as a function of the first and secondsignals. The first signal may include a first component corresponding toa temperature measurement and the second signal may include a firstcomponent corresponding to the temperature measurement and a secondcomponent corresponding to a strain measurement, wherein the firstcomponent of the first signal is substantially identical to the firstcomponent of the second signal. The first component of the first signalfrom the second signal may be removed to determine the strain of the endeffector.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute apart of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the presentdisclosure and, together with the detailed description of theembodiments given below, serve to explain the principles of thedisclosure.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an optical sense fiber according to anembodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an electrosurgical forceps according toan embodiment of the present disclosure including a housing, anelongated shaft, and an end effector;

FIG. 3A is an enlarged perspective view of the end effector of FIG. 1depicted with a pair of jaw members in an open configuration;

FIG. 3B is an enlarged perspective view of the end effector of FIG. 1depicted with the pair of jaw members in a closed configuration;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a connector according to an embodimentof the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the connector of FIG. 4according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a jaw member of FIGS. 3A and 3Baccording to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 7 is a side view of the proximal portion of the forceps of FIG. 1depicting a movable handle in a separated position with respect to astationary handle, which corresponds to the open configuration of theend effector, and a knife trigger in a separated configuration withrespect to the stationary handle, which corresponds to an un-actuated orproximal configuration of a knife with respect to the jaw members.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure provides for a system and method for providing avariety of sensor feedback regarding operation of an electrosurgicalforceps including, but not limited to, temperature of the jaw members,pressure exerted by the jaw members, blood flow within vessels graspedby the jaw members, position and pressure of various mechanicalactuation components of the forceps, identification informationcorresponding to the forceps. Although the feedback system according topresent disclosure is described below with respect to an endoscopicforceps, the system may be utilized in a variety of surgicalinstruments, including but not limited to, open surgical forceps,tweezer-type devices, and the like.

With reference to FIG. 1, an optical sense fiber 300 according to thepresent disclosure is shown. The fiber 300 includes a core 302, acladding 304 disposed over the core 302, and a buffer coating 306covering the cladding 304. The fiber 300 also includes one or more fiberBragg gratings (FBG) 308 as shown in FIG. 1. Multiple gratings 308 maybe written, e.g., etched, into the fiber 300 if the gratings 308 areformed in such a way as to use different wavelengths. This isparticularly useful for using a single fiber to sense multiple locationswithin the instrument. In further embodiments, multiple fibers 300 maybe included each having one or more gratings 308.

The optical sense fiber 300 may be any flexible optical fiber, such as aphosphate glass fiber. The gratings 308 include a plurality ofreflection points 307 written into the fiber 300 at periodic spacing“A.” In embodiments, the grating 308 may be written into the fiber 300using high intensity pulses from a laser (e.g., argon fluoride excimerlaser with a phase mask). As the fiber 300 undergoes mechanical strain(e.g., a change in length) due to temperature and pressure changes, thespacing A is modified due to stretching or contraction of the fiber 300.This allows for measurement of the effects of pressure and temperatureby measuring the wavelength shift in light reflected by the reflectionpoints 307 based on the formula (I), which is reproduced below:

$\begin{matrix}{\frac{\Delta \; \lambda}{\lambda_{0}} = {{k*ɛ} + {\alpha_{\delta}*\Delta \; T}}} & (I)\end{matrix}$

In formula (I), Δλ, is the wavelength shift, λ₀ is the base wavelength,k is a gage factor, which is a difference between 1 and a photo-elasticcoefficient, ρ, ε is strain, ΔT is a temperature change, and α_(δ) is achange of the refraction index. In particular, changes in temperatureand strain affect (e.g., stretch or contract) the fiber 300, which inturn modifies the spacing between the gratings 308. The change in thegratings 308 affects the wavelength of the light reflected back throughthe fiber 300. The change in the wavelength is then used by a controller(e.g., interrogator 41 a of FIG. 1) to determine the change intemperature and/or strain affecting the fiber 300.

With reference to FIG. 2, an embodiment of an electrosurgical forceps 10generally includes a housing 12 that supports various actuators thereonfor remotely controlling an end effector 14 through an elongated shaft16. Although this configuration is typically associated with instrumentsfor use in laparascopic or endoscopic surgical procedures, variousaspects of the present disclosure may be practiced with traditional openinstruments and in connection with endoluminal procedures as well.

The housing 12 is constructed of a left housing half 12 a and a righthousing half 12 b. The left and right designation of the housing halves12 a, 12 b refer to the respective directions as perceived by anoperator using the forceps 10. The housing halves 12 a, 12 b may beconstructed of plastic, and may be joined to one another by adhesives,ultrasonic welding or other assembly methods known in the art.

To mechanically control the end effector 14, the housing 12 supports astationary handle 20, a movable handle 22, a trigger 26, and a rotationknob 28. The movable handle 22 is operable to move the end effector 14between an open configuration (FIG. 3A) wherein a pair of opposed jawmembers 30, 32 are disposed in spaced relation relative to one another,and a closed or clamping configuration (FIG. 3B) wherein the jaw members30, 32 are closer together. Approximation of the movable handle 22 withthe stationary handle 20 serves to move the end effector 14 to theclosed configuration and separation of the movable handle 22 from thestationary handle 20 serves to move the end effector 14 to the openconfiguration. The trigger 26 is operable to extend and retract a knifeblade 56 (see FIG. 3A) through the end effector 14 when the end effector14 is in the closed configuration. The rotation knob 28 serves to rotatethe elongated shaft 16 and the end effector 14 about a longitudinal axisA-A extending through the forceps.

To electrically control the end effector 14, the housing 12 supports aswitch 36 thereon, which is operable by the user to initiate andterminate the delivery of electrosurgical energy to the end effector 14.The switch 36 is in electrical communication with a source ofelectrosurgical energy such as electrosurgical generator 40. Thegenerator 40 may include devices such as the LIGASURE® Vessel SealingGenerator and the FORCETRIAD® Generator as sold by Covidien Energy-basedDevices of Boulder, Colo. Electrosurgical energy may be supplied by anysuitable electrosurgical generator as is known in the art. A cable 42extends between the housing 12 and the generator 40 and includes aconnector 43 (FIGS. 3 and 4) thereon such that the forceps 10 may beselectively coupled and decoupled electrically from the generator 40.One or more fibers 300 are disposed within the forceps 10, the jawmembers 30, 32, and/or the connector 43 as described in further detailbelow with respect to FIGS. 6 and 7. The fiber 300 senses temperatureand pressure within the forceps 10, the jaw members 30, 32 and othercomponents and provides identification information of the forceps 10 tothe generator 40. The generator 40 also includes an interrogator 41 acoupled to the fiber 300 that decodes the optically encoded straininformation from fiber 300 into electrical signals compatible with thecomputer control hardware of the generator 40. The generator 40 includesa controller 41 b which is used to calculate temperature and forcesexerted on the fiber 300 based on the formula (I). The controller 41 bmay be any suitable type of logic circuit, such as field programmablegate array, processor, and the like. The generator 40 also includes areceptacle 45 configured to interface with the connector 43.

Referring now to FIGS. 3A and 3B, the end effector 14 may be moved fromthe open configuration (FIG. 3A) wherein tissue (not shown) is receivedbetween the jaw members 30, 32, and the closed configuration (FIG. 3B),wherein the tissue is clamped and sealed. Upper jaw member 30 and lowerjaw member 32 are physically or mechanically coupled to the elongatedshaft 16 about a pivot pin 44. The jaw members 30, 32 are electricallycoupled to cable 42, and thus to the generator 40, (FIG. 3) throughwires 46 a, 46 b, respectively, (FIG. 5) extending through the elongatedshaft 16 and the housing 12. The wires 46 a, 46 b provide an electricalpathway to a pair of electrically conductive, tissue-engaging sealingplates 48, 50 disposed on the lower and upper jaw members 32, 30,respectively. The sealing plate 48 of the lower jaw member 32 opposesthe sealing plate 50 of the upper jaw member 30, and, in someembodiments, the sealing plates 48 and 50 are electrically coupled toopposite terminals, e.g., active and return terminals associated withthe generator 40. Thus, bipolar energy may be provided through thesealing plates 48 and 50. Alternatively, the sealing plates 48 and 50and/or the end effector 14 may be configured for delivering monopolarenergy to the tissue. In a monopolar configuration, one or both sealingplates 48 and 50 deliver electrosurgical energy from an active terminal,while a return pad (not shown) is placed generally beneath a patient andprovides a return path to the opposite terminal, of the generator 40.

The jaw members 30, 32 may be pivoted about the pivot pin 44 to move theend effector 14 to the closed configuration of FIG. 3B wherein thesealing plates 48, 50 provide a consistent pressure to tissue graspedtherebetween. In one embodiment, to provide a consistent and effectiveseal at a pressure from about 3 kg/cm² to about 16 kg/cm² is necessaryand, in other embodiments, from about 7 kg/cm² to about 13 kg/cm². Also,in the closed configuration, a separation or gap distance “G” may bemaintained between the sealing plates 48, 50 by one or more stop members54 disposed on or adjacent the sealing plates 48, 50. The stop members54 contact opposing surfaces on the opposing jaw member 30, 32 andprohibit further approximation of the sealing plates 48, 50. In oneembodiment, to provide a consistent and effective tissue seal, anappropriate gap distance from about 0.001 inches to about 0.006 inchesis necessary and, in other embodiments, from about 0.002 inches to about0.005 inches. The stop members 54 may be constructed of an electricallynon-conductive plastic or other material molded onto the jaw members 30,32, e.g., by a process such as overmolding or injection molding. Inother embodiments, the stop members 54 are constructed of aheat-resistant ceramic deposited onto the jaw members 30, 32.

When an appropriate seal pressure is applied to tissue and anappropriate gap distance “G” is maintained, electrosurgical energy isdelivered to the tissue through the electrically conductive seal plates48, 50 to affect a tissue seal. Once a tissue seal is established, aknife blade 56 is advanced through a knife channel 58 defined in one orboth jaw members 30, 32 to transect the sealed tissue. Knife blade 56 isdepicted in FIG. 3A as extending from the elongated shaft 16 when theend effector 14 is in an open configuration. In some embodiments, aknife lockout may be provided to prevent extension of the knife blade 56into the knife channel 58 when the end effector 14 is in the openconfiguration, thus preventing accidental or premature transection oftissue.

With reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, connector 43 is shown coupled to cable42 and includes a housing portion 106 having a first-half section 106 aand a second half-section 106 b operatively engagable with one another.Half-sections 106 a, 106 b are configured and adapted to retain anactive pin 112 a, a return pin 112 b, an optical coupler 108, and aplurality of electrical contacts 110 disposed on a prong 114. The pin112 a is coupled to the wire 46 a and the pin 112 b is coupled to thewire 46 b. The electrical contacts 110 are coupled to control leads 111which may be coupled to various electrical controls, e.g., switch 36.The optical coupler 108 is connected to an optical fiber 400 at aproximal end 401 of the optical fiber 400. The receptacle 45 includescorresponding connectors for coupling the pins 112 a, 112 b, contacts110, and optical coupler 108 to the generator 40, namely,energy-generating components (e.g., RF output stage), sensor circuits,the interrogator 41 a, and the controller 41 b.

The connector 43 includes an identification assembly 200 including theoptical fiber 400, which includes a fiber Bragg grating 408 at aproximal end 401 thereof. The proximal end 401 of the optical fiber 400,which includes the fiber Bragg grating 408, is mounted loosely withinthe housing 106 of the connector 43 such that strain does not transferto the fiber 400. In some embodiments, the optical fiber 400 may bethermally insulated (e.g., potting of the housing 106) to preventthermal effects of the fiber Bragg grating 408. This configurationallows the fiber Bragg grating 408 to be unaffected by thermal andstrain imposed on the connector 43. Accordingly, the fiber Bragg grating408 provides the same feedback when interrogated by the interrogator 41a. The fiber Bragg grating 408 may be individually tailored to encodeidentification information corresponding to a specific device (e.g.,forceps 10). The identification information that may be encoded in thefiber Bragg grating 408 may include, but is not limited to, serialnumber, model number, usage settings, configuration settings, and thelike. Different identification information may be encoded by varying thenumber, thickness and periodic spacing between reflection points of thefiber Bragg grating 408. The interrogator 41 a may interrogate theidentification assembly 200 upon insertion of the connector 43 into thereceptacle 45. Interrogation may be triggered by detection of theinsertion using one or more proximity switches, limit switches, radiofrequency tags, and the like.

FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of the jaw member 32 including firstand second optical fibers 500 a and 500 b. In some embodiments, theopposing jaw member 30 may also include the optical fibers 500 a and 500b. For purposes of simplicity and consistency, use of optical fibers 500a and 500 b to monitor temperature and pressure are describedhereinbelow with reference to the jaw member 32 only.

The first optical fiber 500 a disposed in an upper portion 33 a of thejaw member, e.g., above a pivot opening 32 a and a cam slot 32 b. Asecond optical fiber 500 b is disposed in a lower portion 33 b of thejaw member 32 below the sealing plate 48. The optical fibers 500 a and500 b include distal ends 501 a, 501 b, respectively, which are disposedwithin cavities 70, 72 formed within upper and lower portions 33 a, 33 bof the jaw member 32. Each of the optical fibers 500 a, 500 b includesone or more fiber Bragg gratings 508 a, 508 b disposed within cavities70, 72, respectively. The cavities 70, 72 may be filled with thermallyand electrically conductive material. The material may be a liquid, suchas saline. Both of the fiber Bragg gratings 508 a, 508 b, measuretemperature at the jaw member. The fiber 500 a is securedly mountedwithin the jaw member 32, e.g., glued thereto along the entire lengththereof, to provide strain measurements imposed on the jaw member 32.Strain measurements allow for determination of pressure exerted on thejaw member 32. However, the gratings 508 a are affected by bothtemperature and strain. To obtain accurate strain measurements at thejaw member 32, fiber 500 b is mounted in a less secure manner to jawmember 32 (e.g., only at the distal end 501 b) such that strain does nottransfer to the fiber 500 b. This configuration allows the fiber 500 bto be affected only by temperature. Thus, the fiber 500 a providessensor feedback regarding temperature and strain to the interrogator 41a while the fiber 500 b only provides temperature feedback. Thetemperature feedback from the fiber 500 b is used by the interrogator 41a and/or the controller 41 b to determine the temperature at the jawmember 32 and the tissue site as well as the strain by correcting thefeedback from the fiber 500 a using the feedback from the fiber 500 b.The feedback signal from the fiber 500 b is used to remove thetemperature component of the feedback signal from the fiber 500 a toobtain the strain component. The temperature and strain feedback may beused by the controller 41 b to control the output of the generator 40.In some embodiments, the adjustments to the output of the generator 40may include, but are not limited to, changing modes (e.g., cutting,coagulation, sealing), changing power level (e.g., voltage and/orcurrent), duty cycle, terminating energy, and combination thereof. Thisreading may be provided to the generator 41, which may continuouslydisplay the resulting strain readings as pressure imposed on the jawmembers 30, 32 and tissue. In some embodiments, the generator 41 mayoutput an indication that a predetermined pressure has been reached.This indication may be used as one of the conditions in determiningwhether a tissue seal is complete.

Referring now to FIG. 7, operation of the forceps 10 is described. Themovable handle 22 may be manipulated to impart longitudinal motion tothe jaw drive rod 80, and knife trigger 26 may be manipulated to impartlongitudinal motion to the blade 56. As discussed above, longitudinalmotion of the jaw drive rod 80 serves to move the end effector 14between the open configuration of FIG. 3A and the closed configurationof FIG. 3B, and longitudinal motion of the blade 56 serves to move knifeblade 56 through knife channel 58 (FIG. 3A).

The movable handle 22 is operatively coupled to an outer shaft member 60by a connection mechanism 176. The connection mechanism 176 includes aclevis 178, having first and second arms 178 a, 178 b defined at anupper end of the movable handle 22. The clevis 178 is pivotallysupported on the left housing half 12 b by a pivot boss 180. Each of twoarms 178 a, 178 b of the clevis 178 extend upwardly about opposing sidesof a drive collar 184 and have distal and proximal portions 184 a, 184 bsupported on the outer shaft member 60 and include rounded drivesurfaces 182 a and 182 b thereon. Drive surface 182 a engages the distalportion 184 a and drive surface 182 b engages the distal portion 184 bof the drive collar 184. The drive surfaces 182 a, 182 b are arrangedalong the longitudinal axis A-A such that pivotal motion of the movablehandle 22 about the pivot bosses 180 induce corresponding longitudinalmotion of the drive collar 184 along the longitudinal axis A-A, which inturn, provides for longitudinal motion of the jaw drive rod 80. Inparticular, distal longitudinal motion is imparted to the connectionmechanism 176 by pulling the proximal rim 184 b of the drive collar 184with the movable handle 22, as indicated by arrow “F”. Distallongitudinal motion of the drive collar 184 is transmitted directly tothe jaw drive rod 80 to induce a corresponding distal motion of the jawdrive rod 80, which move the end effector 14 between the openconfiguration of FIG. 3A and the closed configuration of FIG. 3B.

Referring to FIG. 7, the trigger 26 is pivotally supported in thehousing 12 about a pivot boss 202 protruding from the trigger 26. Thetrigger 26 is operatively coupled to the blade 56 by a knife connectionmechanism 204 such that pivotal motion of the trigger 26 induceslongitudinal motion of the blade 56. The knife connection mechanism 204includes upper flanges 26 a, 26 b of the trigger 26 and a knife collar210. The upper flanges 26 a, 26 b include respective slots 27 a, 27 bdefined therethrough that are configured to receive a free end of dowelpin 93, which extends through the knife collar 210 such that pivotalmotion of the trigger 26 induces longitudinal motion of the knife collar210. Dowel pin 93 translates longitudinally within a slot of the outershaft member 60 and a slot of the jaw drive rod 80 such thatlongitudinal motion of the knife collar 210 is unimpeded by the dowelpin 93 (not shown).

The knife collar 210 is longitudinally movable over the outer shaftmember 60 independently of the motion of the jaw drive rod 80. Thus, thejaw drive rod 80 may be regarded as a stationary reference for themovement of the knife collar 210. The blade 56 is coupled to the knifecollar 210 such that the longitudinal motion of the knife collar 210 istransmitted to the blade 56. In particular, the blade 56 translates withthe knife collar 210 in both the proximal and distal directions.

The instrument 10 also includes an optical fiber 600 disposed within thehousing 12. The fiber 600 is disposed and/or is in contact with variousmechanical actuation components of the instrument 10 and is configuredto provide for strain measurements and positioning information thereof.In particular, the fiber 600 includes a plurality of fiber Bragggratings 608 (e.g., 608 a, 608 b . . . 608 n). Each of the gratings 608is disposed within and/or in contact with the components of theinstrument 10. In some embodiments, a plurality of optical fibers 600may be utilized each having one or more gratings 608. The gratings 608are used to measure strain and/or position of various mechanicalcomponents, as described in further detail below.

The grating 608 a is disposed within a lockout member 20 a. The movablehandle also includes a latch member 22 a that is configured to interfacewith the lockout member 20 a disposed within the stationary handle 20.When the movable handle 22 is in the actuated or proximal position, thelatch member 22 a on the moveable handle 22 is received in the lockoutmember 20 a supported within the stationary handle 20. The lockoutmember 20 a serves to temporarily lock the movable handle 22 in theproximal position against the bias of the spring 188, which biases themovable handle 22. Thus, the lockout member 20 a permits the maintenanceof pressure at the end effector 14 without actively maintaining pressureon the movable handle 22. The latch member 22 a may be released from thelockout member 20 a by pivoting the movable handle 22 proximally andreleasing the movable handle 22 to move under the influence of thespring 188. Operation of the lockout member 20 a is described in greaterdetail in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/595,194 to Hixon et al.,now U.S. Pat. No. 7,766,910. In some embodiments (not shown), the latchmember 22 a and the lockout member 20 a may be eliminated to provide aninstrument without the temporary locking capability provided by thesefeatures.

The grating 608 a is impinged by the latch member 22 a once the movablehandle 22 is approximated toward the stationary handle and the latchmember 22 a is locked within the lockout member 20 a. The strain on thegrating 608 a is detected by interrogating the fiber 600 by theinterrogator 41 a. The strain reading may be used to signal that the jawmembers 30, 32 are fully clamped. This may be accomplished by outputtingan audio and/or visual indication on the generator 40 and/or theinstrument 10.

The grating 608 b is disposed in contact and/or adjacent to the switch36. As the switch 36 is toggled, the grating 608 b is impinged by theswitch 36. The strain is detected by the interrogator 41 a. The strainreading is used to signal the generator 40 that the switch 36 is toggledand the generator 40 toggles (e.g., activates or terminates) applicationof electrosurgical energy. This configuration of the optical fiber 600obviates the need for an electrical lead and switching contacts.

The grating 608 c is disposed in contact with and/or adjacent to theclevis 178 of the movable handle 22. As the movable handle 22 is pivotedabout the pivot boss 180, the clevis 178, in particular the arm 178 b,pushes against the grating 608 c. As the handle 22 is pivoted, the arm178 b moves along the grating 608 c while the fiber 600 is continuouslyinterrogated by the interrogator 41 a. The continuous strainmeasurements of the 608 c provide position readings of the handle 22,since the grating 608 c provides different strain readings based on theexact position thereof being impinged by the movable handle 22. Thisreading allows for an indication of the degree of approximation betweenthe jaw members 30, 32. This reading may be displayed by the generator41 and/or used as one of the conditions to indicate that the seal iscomplete (e.g., ensuring the jaw members 30, 32 are fully approximated).

The grating 608 d is disposed within the movable handle 22 as shown by acutout portion 22 c. The portion of the fiber 600 including the grating608 d is secured within or to the movable handle 22, e.g., glued theretoalong a portion thereof, to provide for strain measurements imposed onthe movable handle 22 during actuation. This allows the interrogator 41a to determine how much pressure is imposed on the handle 22, the jawdrive rod 80, as well as the jaw members 30, 32. This reading may beprovided to the generator 41 which may continuously display theresulting strain readings as pressure imposed on the jaw members 30, 32and tissue. In some embodiments, the generator 41 may output anindication that a predetermined pressure had been reached. Thisindication may be used as one of the conditions in determining whether atissue seal is complete.

The grating 608 e is disposed in contact with and/or adjacent to one ofthe upper flanges 26 a, 26 b. As the trigger 26 is pivoted about thepivot boss 202, the flange 26 b pushes against the grating 608 e. As thetrigger 26 is pivoted, the flange 26 b moves along the grating 608 ewhile the fiber 600 is continuously interrogated by the interrogator 41a. The continuous strain measurements of the 608 e provide positionreadings of the trigger 26, since the grating 608 c provides differentstrain readings based on the exact position thereof being impinged bythe movable trigger 26. This reading allows for an indication of thedegree of extension of the blade 56. This reading may be displayed bythe generator 41 and/or used as one of the conditions to indicate thatthe tissue is fully separated.

The grating 608 f is disposed in contact with and/or adjacent the jawdrive rod 80. Grating 608 f allows for measurement of the strain forcesimposed on the jaw drive rod 80. This reading is indicative of theforces placed on the jaw rod 80 as the movable handle 22 is compressedto approximate the jaw members 30, 32 while grasping tissue. Thisreading may be used in conjunction with the strain readings from thegratings 608 c and 608 d, which also provide strain readings regardingactuation of the movable handle 22.

While several embodiments of the disclosure have been shown in thedrawings, it is not intended that the disclosure be limited thereto, asit is intended that the disclosure be as broad in scope as the art willallow and that the specification be read likewise. Therefore, the abovedescription should not be construed as limiting, but merely asexemplifications of particular embodiments. Those skilled in the artwill envision other modifications within the scope and spirit of theclaims appended hereto. Although the foregoing disclosure has beendescribed in some detail by way of illustration and example, forpurposes of clarity or understanding, it will be obvious that certainchanges and modifications may be practiced within the scope of theappended claims.

1. (canceled)
 2. A surgical instrument, comprising: an end effector; afirst optical fiber disposed within the end effector and configured toprovide a first signal; a second optical fiber disposed within the endeffector and configured to provide a second signal; and a controllercoupled to the first and second fibers and configured to determinetemperature and strain of the end effector based on the first and secondsignals, respectively.
 3. The surgical instrument of claim 2, whereineach of the first and second optical fibers includes a Bragg grating. 4.The surgical instrument of claim 2, wherein the end effector includes acavity, one of the first or second optical fibers disposed within thecavity of the end effector.
 5. The surgical instrument of claim 4,wherein the end effector includes a first jaw member and a second jawmember, at least one of the first jaw member or the second jaw memberincluding the cavity, the first and second jaw members movable relativeto one another between a first, spaced-apart position and a secondproximate position.
 6. The surgical instrument of claim 4, wherein thecavity contains a thermally and electrically conductive material.
 7. Thesurgical instrument of claim 6, wherein the electrically conductivematerial is saline.
 8. The surgical instrument of claim 2, wherein thefirst signal of the first optical fiber includes a first componentcorresponding to a temperature measurement.
 9. The surgical instrumentof claim 8, wherein the second signal of the second optical fiberincludes a first component corresponding to the temperature measurementand a second component corresponding to a strain measurement, and thefirst component of the first signal is substantially identical to thefirst component of the second signal.
 10. The surgical instrument ofclaim 9, wherein the controller determines the strain measurement byremoving the first component of the first signal from the second signal.11. The surgical instrument of claim 2, wherein the first optical fiberis unsecuredly mounted within the end effector, and the second opticalfiber is securedly mounted within the end effector.